Reality Is Never As Sweet
by Kitty-chan83
Summary: Cassandra wishes she could live in the world of Pokemon. Next thing she knows, she wakes up in Unova in the woods behind Floccesy Ranch. She ends up staying there with a cute boy named Black and his Mom. Eventually, however, both of them leave to start their own Pokemon adventures. Unfortunately for Cassandra, the real Pokemon world isn't always as fun or easy as the games.
1. Be Careful What You Wish For

"I'm bored," I whined to my empty room. It's been a few days since school ended and I didn't have anything to do. Lying on my bed was comfortable but boring. I got off my bed and looked around my room for something to do. I've read all the books on bookshelf multiple times. I didn't really feel like looking for a new show on Netflix either. I searched through my desk drawers and found the perfect solution.

"Pokemon? I haven't played this in a while." I said out loud to myself as I got out my 3DS. I pulled out Pokemon black, I liked the different villain plot line. And N was such a cutie.

After beating two gyms, I started to get sleepy. I made sure to save my progress and then leaned back into my pillows. It'd be great to live in the Pokemon world. Life would be so easy and fun.

"I wish I could live in the Pokemon world." I whispered to myself before falling asleep.

"Hey are you okay?" a voice asked. I groaned, who's in my room? "Can you walk?" the voice spoke again. I mumbled incoherently, still half-asleep.

I was suddenly lifted into the air and jolted awake. A tall cute boy with dark brown hair and brown eyes was carrying me, bridal style. He was wearing overalls and his general person seemed to be covered in dirt.

He suddenly made eye contact with me. "So you're awake now?" he said with a bright smile. "Umm Yeah. You can put me down now." I muttered, very embarrassed. I felt heat rising in my cheeks but forced in down. He put me down, and I looked around. It appeared we were in the woods, however there were several strange fruit trees I had never seen before.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Black. What's your name?" the boy asked.

"I'm Cassandra." I replied. "Can you tell me where I am? I'm not sure how I got here."

"Sure, you're just behind Floccesy Ranch." Black said. He voice carried a lot of volume and for a second I didn't realize the meaning behind his words.

"Wait, does that mean I'm in Unova?" I asked slowly, not quite connecting the dots yet.

"You sure are!" Black replied. "Wait, are you a Pokemon trainer?"

"No, I'm just lost," I replied, thinking fast. I somehow ended up in the Pokemon world, and in Unova. What do I do? How do I explain where I came from? And I'm going to need a place to stay, and money.

"You come stay with my Mom and me at Floccesy Ranch. If you don't have anywhere to go." Black said cheerfully. "We have plenty of space."

"Oh, thank you," I said, I don't remember the player character living in Floccesy Ranch. Also Black was in the first Pokemon black and Floccesy Ranch was in Pokemon black 2. It appeared that this world wasn't exactly like the games.

We walked through the woods together, but I was fascinated by all the Pokemon

I could see. There were Pidoves and Patrats and Lillipups all over the place. I think I even saw a Riolu! After walking for a whole, we reached a fence. We climbed over it to see Black's house. There was also a herd of Mareep and tall iris flowers swaying in the breeze.

"Wow! So this is Floccesy Ranch," I exclaimed. "It's beautiful."

"Thanks, it's been in my family for generations. " Black said, gazing proudly at his home. "I love this place, but sometimes..."

I waited for him to continue, but when it became obvious he wouldn't, I looked at him. He looked fondly at the ranch but his eyes, which were a beautiful coffee color, held a trace of melancholy.

"It's nothing important," Black said when he noticed me staring. "I should introduce you to my Mom."

"Wait, do you think she won't let me stay?" I asked, suddenly apprehensive. I don't know my way around, and I don't have anyone else to go to.

"Nah, my mom'll love you." Black said with a wink. "She wishes she had a daughter too."

I wondered why she didn't, then remembered that it seems like the father was never in any of the games except for Norman.

We walked up to the house and Black held the door open for me. I thanked him and walked inside. I put my shoes neatly to the side while Black just kicked his off.

"Hey Mom!" he yelled. "I'm home! And I brought a girl with me!"

Doesn't that sound like I'm his girlfriend, I thought. I'd love to date someone as cute as Black and he seems pretty nice, but I just met him. I hoped his mother wouldn't jump to conclusions.

"A GIRL!" a woman's voice yelled excitedly from upstairs. She came running down. She was pretty and it was obvious that Black got his eyes from his mother. Her hair was tied up in a huge bun with an orange hair tie. She was wearing jeggings, a bright tangerine colored skirt with large front pockets and a bow in the back, and a simple sky blue t-shirt.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Black's mother asked with a wink.

"No, I just found her in the backwoods," Black replied, blushing. "I offered her a place to stay. It's not a problem, is it?"

"Of course not, it'll be good to have a young girl around." Black's mother said. She was cheerful and loud, just like Black. "I'm Mrs. Floccesy, it's very nice to meet you. Your name is..?"

"Oh, I'm Cassandra," I said as I held my hand out to shake. She shook my hand firmly while smiling warmly.

"What a pretty name, and unusual too," Mrs. Floccesy said. "Where are you from?"

"Umm," I stalled. If I lied, I could get caught pretty easily. I didn't want to lie to Black and Mrs. Floccesy though. They seemed like decent people and they were being so kind to me, a complete stranger. But I couldn't just say I came from another world. Or that this world is a game where I'm from and that they're just NPCs or players in Black's case.

"It's complicated," I ended up saying, awkwardly. Wow, I just made myself ten times more suspicious.

"That's fine, your past is your past," Mrs. Floccesy said. "Now let's get you situated."

"Cool, I'm gonna go get the Mareep inside the farmhouse," Black said, as he walked out the door.

"Don't forget to bring Herdier and the Lillipups inside the house afterwards," Mrs. Floccesy called to him.

"Yeah, yeah I know Mom," Black called back over his shoulder.

"Here Cassandra, follow me upstairs." Mrs. Floccesy said. We walked upstairs and went into the first room on the left. Inside was a quaint room with a queen-sized bed, a nightstand, and a large dresser. The walls were arctic blue and the floor was a cream-colored hardwood. A large rectangular window above the bed let light filter in.

"This is the guest room," Mrs. Floccesy said. "Make yourself at home."

"Thanks for all your help," I said quickly before she could leave. "I really appreciate your kindness. If there's anything I can do to repay it I'd be happy to-"

"Nonsense," Mrs. Floccesy exclaimed, cutting me off. "As a mother, I could never leave a child alone in the woods overnight."

A child? I'm seventeen, if not an adult I'm definitely considered teenager.

"Now you should get some rest," Mrs. Floccesy said, her eyes softening. "You look exhausted. You should throw on the nightgown in the top drawer. I'll clean your clothes tomorrow and you can take a hot bath in the morning, alright?"

"Thanks for everything," I yawned. I was suddenly hit by a wave of exhaustion.. After Mrs. Floccesy left, I locked the door and changed. I crawled into bed and fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow.


	2. What To Do Now

Light filtered into the room, waking me from my slumber. I had slept quite comfortably, surprisingly considering I had been transported to another world the day before. I rolled out of bed and found a pair of jean shorts, a turquoise plaid shirt, a white towel, a brush, some hair ties, and a note on the dresser. The note said that the bathroom was at the end of the hall and to help myself to the soap, shampoo, and conditioner. After I made the bed as neat as possible, not wanting to burden Mrs. Floccesy with any more work, I went to the bathroom.

The bathroom was very pretty, I noted when I entered. The walls were a cobalt blue and the floor tiles were porcelain white, they matched the toilet and vanity. I shut and locked the door. Then I proceeded to get undressed and into the shower. I stood under the hot spray of the water for a while, contemplating my situation. I wasn't sure If I wanted to go home immediately. Or if I even could. If I did go home I might never get another chance like this. Eventually I gave up on deciding washed my hair and body and got out. I dried off, brushed my hair,and got dressed. I put my hair in two braids, a style I haven't worn since elementary school. Still, it seemed to go with my outfit. I then headed down stairs.

"Hello?" I questioned cautiously, in case I woke anyone up. I walked barefoot across the floor, trying to be as quiet as possible. I wondered if Black and Mrs. Floccesy were up, I think today's a Saturday, but I'm not sure.

"Good morning! Did you sleep well?" Mrs. Floccesy greeted me when I walked into the kitchen. "Do you like eggs?"

"Umm, what kind of eggs?" I asked suspiciously. Surely she didn't mean Pokemon eggs? But are there chickens in the Pokemon world?

"These are chicken eggs," Mrs. Floccesy answered my inner musings. "There are only three animals people eat; chickens, cows, and pigs."

"So you have chickens here?" I asked, relieved that there were regular animals to be eaten, rather than Pokemon.

"Of course, we also have a Miltank for fresh Moomoo milk," Mrs. Floccesy said. "Black is milking her now, he already collected the eggs from our breakfast. Do you want to help set the table?"

"Of course, just tell me what to do," I replied, glad there was a way I could help. She gestured towards some drawers and cabinets. I walked over to them and found utensils, cups, plates, and cute placemats with chibi pokemon on them. I pulled out the placemats with the chibi Skitty, the chibi Oshawott, and the chibi Mareep.

"Would you like some apple juice?" Mrs. Floccesy asked, walking to the table, the smell of eggs wafting deliciously through the air. She put the eggs on a large plate in the center.

"I'd love some," I said as I grabbed the bowls of sliced fresh fruit off the counter and carried them to the table.

"Awesome," Mrs. Floccesy said, "Could you please pour some for everyone. That'd be great." She handed me the pitcher and went to check on the muffins in the oven.

I went and poured everyone a generous glass, popping some blueberries in my mouth. I was surprised that there were normal fruits in the Pokemon world. I wonder if people can't eat oran berries or the other kinds of fruit that Pokemon eat.

"I got the milk!" Black shouted from the entry way, the sound of his shoes being thrown against the wall could be heard. "Is Cassandra up yet?"

"Yes! She's in here with me," Mrs. Floccesy called back. "Now come and have breakfast with us while it's still hot!"

"Sure thing, Mom," Black said as he strolled into the dining room. He plunked himself in the seat across from me and grinned. "Mornin' Cassandra, how'd you sleep, you snore loudly ya know."

"What!? I do?" I exclaimed, very embarrassed. I used to snore loudly a kid, but I thought it went away.

"I'm just kidding, I wouldn't even know," Black said, laughing. I frowned on the outside, but secretly thought how nice his laugh was. I was definitely developing a crush on him. He was so cute and nice. How could I resist?

"Want some eggs?" Black said through a mouthful of muffin.

"Talk or eat dear, not both," Mrs. Floccesy said as she sat down. Black finally swallowed and spooned some eggs onto my pate with a smile. I smiled back and dug in, I didn't realize how hungry I was. I tried to eat normally, but I still ate almost as fast as Black. Before I knew it I had eaten a whole muffin, several eggs, and handfuls of fruit.

"Hungry much?" Black asked with raised eyebrows. I swallowed and tried to wipe my mouth as daintily as I could with a napkin. I was super embarrassed, I hoped Black didn't think I was a pig, or in Pokemon terms, a Swinub.

"Don't tease her Black!" Mrs. Floccesy reprimanded. "There's nothing wrong with a healthy appetite."

I smiled gratefully at Mrs. Floccesy, but I still pushed my plate away. I was full anyways, if I ate anymore I'd probably throw up. Afterwards, breakfast passed quickly with some light chatter. Eventually we all got up and put our dishes in the sink, I insisted that I wash them. Mrs. Floccesy was being so generous and I wanted to do something. Eventually Black left to tend to the Pokemon and animals on the ranch, and Mrs. Floccesy asked me for talk.

"So Cassandra," Mrs. Floccesy started. "Is it safe to assume that you have no where to go?"

"That's right," I said sheepishly. I really hadn't thought about what to do yet. It seemed that time has been moving fast ever since I got to the Pokemon world.

"Well, then I'd like to offer you a job," Mrs. Floccesy said kindly. "You can stay in the bedroom upstairs and I'll pay you 1000 poke dollars a week outside of room and board. Black wants to leave on an adventure, but he doesn't want to leave me all the ranch work. He's been trying to find ways to ease the workload, if you help him I'm sure you two can do it. Then you can leave on your own adventure, If you'd like."

"Wow, I'd love to!" I exclaim. "You're very generous." I couldn't believe it. It seemed all my problems were solved. I had a place to stay, food to eat, and a way to make money. And I could go on a Pokemon adventure after Black left. Maybe I could even go with him. This was a dream come true.

"Well then, why don't you get started," Mrs. Floccesy said with a smile. "Black was actually the one who asked me to hire you, he's taken a liking to you. So, if you go to the barn, he can tell what you'll be doing."

"I'll be on my way then." I said as I dashed out the door. I was grinning from ear to ear, I was the happiest I've been in a long time. I was already formulating a plan in my head to become the Unova champion, life couldn't get any better than this.


	3. Time Flies When You're Having Fun

I flopped on my bed, exhausted, my arms and legs aching. I was definitely going to be sore in the morning. Working on the ranch was a lot of hard physical labor, more than I had ever done before. Still, it was fun. I helped Black with the Mareep, and was shocked, literally. I tugged too hard on a bristle in a Mareep's wool, it wasn't happy. It didn't actually hurt that much, it was kinda like the static shock you get when you rub your feet on carpet and touch someone.

Anyways, in the middle of the day we took a break for lunch. Black had brought his own lunch and went off on his own into the wood with a Lillipup. I think he was training, but I don't see why he wouldn't just say so. I had a nice lunch with Mrs. Floccesy, she made me PB&J sandwich. Then I hung out at the edge of the wood for the rest of my break. I took the "don't go into the tall grass" to heart and decided to just watch the woods from the safety of the ranch.

Then it was back to work when Black got back. He seemed to be in a better mood when he got back, but I didn't pry. His Lillipup seemed happy too, it reminded me of my dog. It was bounding along wagging its tail. We then got ready to shut the ranch gates. We had to chase out stray Lillipups and Patrats. I screamed when I stepped on a Dunsparce, I know it's a normal type, but it looks like a bug. I'm not used to seeing creatures that big, 4'11 is a lot bigger in real life. Black ran over to me immediately, but laughed at me when he saw it was a Dunsparce. He scared it off while I cowered, I mean stood, behind him. It eventually got dark, and we put everything away and went inside.

Mrs. Floccesy had a nice meal prepared for us when we got inside. I don't even remember what we had, I was so exhausted I just shoveled food into my mouth without looking at it. It tasted good though. I stumbled to my room in a daze and collapsed on my bed.

And so, the days passed, which turned into weeks, which became several months. I still hadn't left the ranch yet, Black had done all the supply runs by himself while I ran the ranch. Life was great at the ranch, but I wanted to see more. I hadn't even wandered into the woods very far yet. I earned 12000 pokedollars in the 3 months I've been at Floccesy Ranch. Today was my day off, so I planned to walked to Floccesy town by myself. Black offered to come with me, but if I didn't go by myself, then what was the point?

"Wow," I whispered to myself as I walked into Floccesy Town. The ancient clock tower loomed above me, looking very unstable. I walked up to it, at first glance it was ugly and rotting. But upon a closer look, I could see the once beautiful architecture and see the beauty in its age.

I got bored quickly though, and went to the Pokemon Center. It was huge, and there were all sorts of people and Pokemon milling about. There was a line for the Pokemart so I looked around instead. I walked upstairs, I was curious what they'd have. As it turns out there was a international trading station where you could put in your Pokemon information and request a Pokemon. There were also several video phones as well as a regular trading station. I saw two little boys exchange a Patrat and a Lillipup, both common Pokemon around here. A few computers sat in the corner, but I didn't know what they were for.

When I saw that the Pokemart line had disappeared I ran up to the counter. I bought 3 Pokeballs, just as a start. I then left and headed back.

When I got back to the Ranch I begged Black to let me borrow Herdier, I desperately wanted to catch my own Pokemon. He agreed and asked Herdier to follow my commands, it huffed but it still came with me. I finally traveled deep into the woods looking for Pokemon. I wanted to catch a Riolu, my favorite Pokemon, I knew there were a few in theses woods. I've caught glimpses of them and I remember catching one in my game.

I suddenly found myself face to face with what I had been searching for. A Riolu was staring impassively at me, as if waiting for me to make a move. I inched closer and it didn't run, in fact it's eyes seemed to challenge me to a fight.

"Herdier use take down!" I shouted, pointing my finger at the Riolu. Herdier did as a commanded and managed to take the Riolu by surprise. Fighting type Pokemon are resistant to normal type moves. Despite this, Herdier was at a much higher level, Riolu's defense stats were probably still low.

The Riolu let out its strange cry and retaliated quickly with a quick attack before leaping away and using endure. Perfect, my next attack would probably have knocked it out, but it would survive with endure.

"Now use strength, Herdier!" I shouted. The Pokemon smashed into riolus knocking it against a tree. Real life was much more graphic than the game. I felt kind of bad, but nevertheless I got out my Pokeball. I pressed the button and tossed it at the Riolu, trying to be gentle. The Riolus turned into red light and was sucked into the Pokeball. The button flashed red briefly before clicking.

"YES!" I shouted loudly, scaring tons of Pidoves out of the trees. "Oops, sorry guys."

I ran back to the ranch, with Herdier struggling to keep up. I burst inside, kicking my shoes off like Black.

"I caught a Pokemon!" I exclaimed. I was breathing heavily, having just ran with all my might. I thought I might explode from excitement and exhilaration.

"Wow, that's great!" Mrs. Floccesy said. "What kind of Pokemon is it?"

"It's a Riolu," I replied happily. "I'm not sure what the gender is though."

"You can take it to the Pokemon center and use the PC to find out the gender. The Pokemon Centers also have databases about all the Pokemon. They're similar to a Pokedex except they're not portable. Only a few lucky trainers get Pokedexes." Mrs. Floccesy said.

"Including me," Black said cheerfully from the doorway. "Professor Juniper's assistant will give me one along with a starter Pokemon."

"Her name is Bianca, dear," Mrs. Floccesy said. "You and two younger trainers from Aspertia City have been chosen to receive a Pokedex and a starter Pokemon from Professor Juniper."

"I know, I can't wait." Black replied. "In just one week, I'll get to start my Pokemon adventure."

"What?" I questioned, unaware of this development. I didn't know Black was going to be leaving so soon.

"Yeah, I'm going to Aspertia City this Sunday, and spending the night." Black said. "I've bringing my Lillipup with me and I'll meet Bianca Monday."

"Oh." I said, stunned at how fast time had passed. It seemed like it was just yesterday I had met Black in the woods.

"As soon as I get my Pokemon, I'm gonna challenge Cheren, the gym leader there." Black rambled on excitedly. "Then I'll start my Pokemon adventure!"

"That's great Black!" I said with a pained smile. "I know how long you've waited for your Pokemon adventure and how hard you've trained."

"Oh yeah, can I talk to you about that?" Black said, suddenly looking nervous. He cleared his throat. "Alone please, Mom."

"Oh, something you don't want me to hear?" Mrs. Floccesy said with raised eyebrows. "I wonder what this is about."

"Mom!" Black said.

"Oh don't worry, I'm going." Mrs. Floccesy said as she walked out the door.

I wondered what Black was going to say. I originally thought he was going to give me instructions on what to when he was gone, but that didn't make sense. He would just say so in front of his mother.

"So, umm, I was wondering if maybe you'd," Black stuttered, with a slight flush on his face. Could it be? could he possibly have a crush on me too? I've never confessed to anyone, but I'm sure I'd be blushing and stuttering like Black.

"Would you like to come with me?" Black said quickly, almost blurring his words. I was about to hug him, but...

"I mean as like a companion, a friend." Black said. "Cause you know, you don't have an xtransceiver and when you go on your journey you could get lost or something."

"I'd love to," I said, nursing my broken heart. I can't believe I just got friendzoned. I know I'm not model gorgeous, but I'm relatively pretty. I never wear makeup either, so it's not like I ever look different.

"That's great," Black sighed in relief. "I was afraid you might say no."

"Why would I?" I asked. "I'd love to go on a Pokemon adventure. Plus, I like you. Traveling together will be fun."

Black flushed at my words, but anyone would. He was just one of those people who were kind to everyone. I was disappointed but happy that I'll get to spend more time with him. After being in the Pokemon world for a few months, I was worried about traveling alone. In just one week, I'll leave for a Pokemon adventure with Black and Riolu by my side. Time has flown fast, but I enjoyed every second of it. I'm sure that the real fun is yet to come.


	4. Finally, Our Pokemon Adventure Begins

The next day I woke up with a smile. Unusual, as I'm definitely not a morning person. As I've gotten comfortable at Floccesy Ranch, I let more of my personality show. I don't want to say I was less polite, but I totally was. I was mainly less formal with Mrs. Floccesy and Black. I didn't hide my emotions either. One time I didn't speak to Black for an entire day when he hid a Dunsparce in the barn for me to find. The only thing I attempted to hide from the Floccesys was my crush on Black. Black is too oblivious to notice, but I think Mrs. Floccesy knows.

Anyways, I got out of bed and immediately picked up Riolu's Pokeball. I pushed the button and Riolu was released from it. Riolu didn't look that happy, but it appeared to have recovered from the battle yesterday.

"Hey there," I said to it. "I'm Cassandra. In several days we're going to go on an adventure. We'll battle gyms and travel all over Unova. How does that sound?"

The Riolu did not look impressed or excited. It stared impassively at me for a while until a I heard a strange gurgling noise.

"Are you hungry?" I asked it, I had another gurgle as a response. "I'll take that as a yes, come with me."

I got dressed, brushed my teeth and hair, and walked downstairs with Riolu trailing behind me. When I stood next to it, I noticed the Riolu was a lot shorter than me. I was 5 feet 8 inches tall, one inch shorter than Black. I was tall for a girl, but I liked it. Kids used to tease me, but it never bothered me. Anyways the Riolu is only 2 feet 4 inches tall. I was 3 feet 4 inches taller than it, more than twice its height.

"Good morning Cassandra," Mrs. Floccesy called from the stove.

"Good morning,"I greeted her cheerfully. I sat down and pulled a chair up for Riolu. It looked at me curiously for a second before getting into the chair. It was a somewhat amusing spectacle, given how short the Riolu was.

"Oh is that your Pokemon?" Mrs. Floccesy asked. "It's so cute! Is it hungry!"

The Riolu made its strange cry and its stomach growled loudly.

"I'll take that as a yes, there are some poffins in that cabinet over." Mrs. Floccesy gestured.

I grabbed several poffins and put them on a plate in front of Riolu. It sniffed them curiously and looked suspiciously at me, before grabbing one and nibbling on it. It appeared to like the taste and devoured the rest of the poffins wholeheartedly.

Afterwards, I took Riolu with me to the barn. It helped me carry some things while I worked. During our lunch break, we went into the woods to train.

"So you can use quick attack and endure," I said to Riolu. "Can you use any other moves?"

I wondered if it could understand me, Pokemon always seemed to understand people in the games and the anime. However, this Riolu had always lived in the wild, so it might not understand human language.

The Riolu nodded, to my surprise and used foresight. It shot red light beams from its eyes, making me jump. It then used counter, its body becoming outlined in orange. It was very interesting to see pokemon moves used in real life, they tended to look more like they did in the anime than in the game.

"Okay the, let's get started then," I said, clapping my hands together. I lead Riolu into the woods and battled wild pokemon with it. Luckily, I had my watch on so I made it back to the ranch on time.

Black and I finished our work, it wasn't much now that we had automated much of the ranch. We had a lovely dinner with Mrs. Floccesy and we all watched shows about Pokemon on TV together. Then we all headed to bed, I showered at night while Black showered in the morning. Mrs. Floccesy had her own bathroom in her room.

Life moved like clockwork, all the pieces fit together and everything ran smoothly. Now that my Pokemon journey was drawing near, I was getting anxious. I wasn't fond of change or travel. I liked my life right now, I wanted to go on a Pokemon adventure, but I was still nervous.

Worrying about it wasn't going to get me anywhere so I said goodnight to Riolu's pokeball and crawled into bed. I looked around my room, which though still mostly bare, had a few pictures as well as a backpack with some chibi pokemon dolls attached. I had also bought clothes for myself with the money I earned. I picked out a special outfit for my Pokemon journey.

It started with a simple red t-shirt with the Pokeball logo printed on the front in white. I also had a matching red sweatshirt to tie around my waist in case of cold nights. I also had blue cargo shorts with big pockets, comfortable for travel and perfect for storage. I had picked out black converse shoes with arch support and tall white socks for walking. I also got a white sunhat with the Pokemon logo printed on front in red.

I wanted to buy running shoes but they were so expensive. Mrs. Floccesy had saved up for a long time to buy Black running shoes, an xtransceiver, and a bike. Black doesn't know about that last one. She's going to surprise him after we pass back through Floccesy town to get to Virbank city. She did imply she was going to add a seat for me on the back wheel. I'd seen it in anime before, but never in real life. I hoped I'd be able to balance on it, I wasn't the most coordinated person in the world.

It was funny that here the big expense of children was their Pokemon journey, not college. I didn't even know if there was high school here. I noticed Black reading books, but they were always about Pokemon or farming. It seemed that everyone knew how to read, write, and do basic math. However nobody seemed to know anything else except for professors and scientists. I once offhandedly mentioned the chemistry of cooking and the Floccesys looked at me as if I were babbling nonsense. Before they could ask any questions, I changed the subject and they forgot about it.

Lost in deep thought, I drifted off to sleep. I dreamed of roads and far-off places. Of forests, deserts, and mountains. When I awoke my dreams drifted away before I could remember. I got up everyday; ate, worked, trained, and went to bed. Before I knew it, it was time to go to Aspertia City.

"Oh I think I'm going to cry?" Mrs. Floccesy said. "My Black, going on a Pokemon adventure."

"Mom, you're embarrassing me," Black said scratching the back of his head. "It's about time I go on my Pokemon journey, I'm seventeen."

"Make sure you take care of him, Cassandra." Mrs. Floccesy said to me. "You and I both know that boys can't take care of themselves."

"Mom!" Black said, in an offended tone. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Oh yeah? Do you know how to clean your clothes or cook anything besides eggs and pancakes?" Mrs. Floccesy shot back.

"Yeah, I know how to make bacon," Black replied in a superior tone.

Mrs. Floccesy and I shared a knowing look. But soon, it was time to go. I think Mrs. Floccesy was crying, as I saw her wipes her eyes a few times. She reminded Black to call her on his xtransceiver from time to time and to stop back in Floccesy town on our way to Virbank City.

I had on my outfit, with my sweatshirt tied around my waist. Riolu stood besides me and it's Pokeball was in my right pocket. My other Pokeballs were in my left pocket. I had a small umbrella, a large water bottle, a flashlight, and a first aid pack attached to my backpack. I also carried a change of underwear as well as pajamas and lounge-wear. I carried my sleeping bag in my backpack and Black had the tent. I carried my wallet in my back pocket, with the money I had left. Mrs. Floccesy had been very generous with my last paycheck. She gave me a very large bonus. I would be able to buy plenty of Pokeballs and potions during my journey.

We eventually managed to leave amidst tearful goodbyes. It was about noon, we could make it to Aspertia City and back by nightfall if we didn't waste any more time. We cut through Floccesy town quickly, my Riolu and Black's Lillipup walking with us. We walked on the path in between the tall grass. The grass was actually several feet tall, Pokemon could easily hide in it. I think I saw a few Patrats and a Purloin.

We got to Aspertia City pretty quickly. I saw the player characters from Black and White 2, Rosa and Nate I think, and directed Back to them. I told him I would check out the trainer's school and the gym while he got his Pokemon and Pokedex from Bianca.

I walked into the trainer school and bypassed it when I saw the lack of books. I walked to the back and went outside to the gym.

"You must be a challenger!" A voice echoed across the field. Cheren was standing at the end of the it on a platform. He looked like he did in Pokemon Black and White 2, I was amazed his hair could stick up like that in real life. Maybe he used hairspray?

"Yes, I'm Cassandra." I said clearly. I was super excited to have a real battle.

"I'm Cheren, the gym leader here," He said. "However, before you can challenge me, you must beat these two first." Cheren gestured to the little girl and boy who stood on the two battlefields.

"Okay, I understand," I said. Aspertia Gym is the Normal-type gym, with Riolu I could win easily.

"I'll be your first opponent," the girl said. "My name's Serena. Now go Lillipup!"

"Let's go Riolu!" I said, pointing to the battlefield. Riolu jumped instantly on my command, in the past week we've gotten a lot closer. It likes me much better now and listens to me without giving me attitude. It's still pretty huffy when anybody else tells it to do something. It doesn't like Black very much either.

"Riolu use quick attack!" I called to it. Riolu did, landing a hit on Serena's Lillipup.

"Lillipup!" Serena exclaimed in worry. "Are you okay?"

The Lillipup got up, but it was obvious that it was weakened.

"Retaliate with tackle!" Serena said.

"Hurry and use counter Riolu," I shouted. Riolu did as it was told, it took the tackle but the effects of counter knocked the Lillipup out.

"Oh no Lillipup!" Serena said. "You did great, now have a good rest.'

She returned Lillipup to its Pokeball and sent out Patrat. Riolu and I made quick work of her Patrat and then went on to beat the boy, Pedro and his Lillipup and Patarat. I got rewards from both of them, 144 pokedollars each. However at that point, it was obvious that Riolu was getting tired. I asked If I could go to the Pokemon center and heal my him before taking on Cheren, and to my surprise, it was allowed.

At the Pokemon center the nurse Joy healed Riolu. I then went upstairs to the Pokemon databases. I put Riolu's Pokeball in a slot and all its information popped up. Apparently Riolu was a boy and currently at level 11. He had also learned feint, it had replaced foresight. I had met him at level 7, he had leveled up 4 levels during training and battles. Riolu also had the ability inner focus, which means he won't flinch in battle. After taking a quick look at his stats I removed his Pokeball and let him out. I put his Pokeball in my pocket and we left the Pokemon center.

"Hey Cassandra!" Black called to me from in front of the gym. "I got my starter Pokemon, I choose Oshawott! And I got a Pokedex, here let me use it on Riolu."

"Riolu. The emanation Pokemon. It has the peculiar power of being able to see emotions such as joy and rage in the form of waves." The Pokedex said after a beep.

"That's so cool!" I exclaimed, "I'm sure that'll be super useful on our journey."

"Yeah, especially during gym battles." Black agreed.

"Speaking of gym battles, I have to go battle Cheren." I said. "You can challenge him after you beat Serena and Pedro."

"Sweet, I'll come with you and battle those two while you take on Cheren." Black said excitedly. "This is going to be awesome, my first badge on the way t o the Pokemon League."

"Yeah, but remember, if I become champion first, you'll have to beat me." I said sly.

"Yeah, that's a pretty big if." Black replied with a wink.

"It is not!" I retorted huffily. "I'll be a great trainer."

"I'm just teasing you," Black said, smiling. "I'm sure you'll be great. Now let's go!"

We headed to the gym, while Black challenged Serena I challenged Cheren.

"Just as this is your first Gym challenge, this is my first Pokémon battle as a Gym Leader! Let's both do our best and have a battle we can be proud of!" Cheren shouted as he threw his Pokeball.

His first Pokemon was a Patrat. It used bite, but it wasn't very effective. Riolu used quick attack, and followed it up with feint before the Patrat could dodge. This weakened the opponent significantly. Patrat used tackle, but Riolu dodged and knocked it out with quick attack. Cheren then sent out a Lillipup that managed to land a hit on Riolu, however it too was knocked out. I received 1440 pokedollars for winning.

"That battle has made me feel really glad you were my first challenger as a Gym Leader… I give you this in honor of the strength you and your Pokémon showed!" Cheren exclaimed, while handing me a badge.

"Thank you," I said politely, reaching for my first ever real Pokemon badge.

"Here is your first Gym Badge, the Basic Badge! This is an important milestone! With this Badge, Pokémon up to Lv. 20 will obey you, including traded Pokémon." Cheren said as he finally handed me my badge. It's so shiny, and it's smooth to the touch.

"And I want you to take this! TM83 can teach your Pokémon the move work up! When you use work up while battling, it raises the user's Attack and Sp. Atk. By the way, TMs can be used as many times as you want!" Cheren said as he handed me a disc.

"Awesome, thanks." I tried to sound enthusiastic, but I never really used status moves. I was going to try to sell it as soon as I got to Virbank City.

"It looks like I'll be having a another challenger soon, so excuse me while I heal my Pokemon," Cheren said. I went off to the sidelines and watched Black finish his battle with Pedro. I grabbed the lunch Mrs. Floccesy made me and ate it while I waited. Black then challenged Cheren, and eventually won. He mainly used his Oshawott, probably to bond with it.

After Black won, and got his badge, we stopped at the Pokemon center to heal our Pokemon then headed back to Floccesy Town. Mrs. Floccesy was waiting for us with a bike and some cookies.

"Wow Mom!" Black exclaimed. "You got me a bike too?"

"Of course, you had to wait an extra three years for your Pokemon journey," Mrs. Floccesy said. "It's only fair that you get something a little extra. Plus I added a seat for Cassandra."

"That's awesome, with this we can get to Virbank City by nightfall." I said. I was really amazed by the seat Mrs. Floccesy had added. It had comfy padding and she had had added a place to put my feet to the back wheel. She had even attached a little trailer to the back of the bike to put our stuff in. It would be able to carry our bags and camping equipment. It was perfect.

Black and I loaded all our stuff into the trailer and took off towards Virbank City. It was a little hard to get going, but when we got started a nice cool breeze blew into our faces. I had to hold onto my hat as we raced down route 20 towards Virbank City. Black jumped a few ledges, making me shriek. The rest of the ride was smooth though, we passed over a bridge and I could see our reflection in the water.

We finally got to Virbank City and spent the night in the Pokemon center, it actually had many rooms that were used by traveling trainers. Black and I shared a room, to my embarrassment. At least we got a room with two beds. After dinner and a shower I collapsed on my bed. Black was already asleep and soon I too drifted off into the dream world.


	5. The First Meeting

I rolled over in bed, groaning as light hit my eyes. I cracked open my eyes to see that Black was gone. There was a note on the nightstand underneath Riolu's pokeball. I struggled to reach the button to let Riolu out.

"Hey Riolu," I said sleepily. "Can you hand me that note?"

The Riolu replied with it's strange cry, which had become oddly comforting. It handed me the note with its cute little paws. The note said that Black had gone to explore the city and eventually challenge the gym. He probably wouldn't be back for a while, so I should just explore on my own, the note said.

"Well, I'm going back to sleep," I yawned. My head had barely hit the pillow before Riolu jumped on me. He stood on my stomach and stared at me in judgement.

"Fine, fine. Get off and I'll get up," I said to Riolu.

I got ready and we both left the pokemon center. There was a crowd forming in the courtyard next to the houses by the gym. Someone was speaking and they drew a lot of people to them.

"Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokémon? That's right! We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokémon truly be equals. Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokémon... and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention." Ghetsis finished.

I was torn on what to do. I knew Ghetsis was evil and plotting to take over Unova. However, if I accused him in public, I'd look crazy. If I accused him in private, he'd probably set Team Plasma goons on me.

I saw a little girl with tears in her eyes. I remembered that Ghetsis's speech convinced a few people to release their pokemon into the wild. While I wasn't going to do anything about adults stupid enough to listen to the crap Ghetsis was spewing, I couldn't let an innocent child get brainwashed.

"Hey there, what's wrong?" I said in what I hoped was a comforting tone. I crouched down to her level and Riolu stood next to me.

"That man said that my Sunkern is unhappy and that I should release her." She sniffled.

"Well, show me her. I can speak to Pokemon. I'll ask her if she's happy, ok?" I said with a smile. "How does that sound?"

"You can talk to pokemon?" The little girl asked, hope shining through her tears.

"Of course," I lied with a smile. I felt bad about lying, but I'd feel even worse if this girl released her pokemon into the wild just because Ghetsis told her to.

"Okay," the girl said as she released her Sunkern from its pokeball.

The Sunkern was a lot bigger than I had imagined, it was very light but it was still a foot tall. I picked it up and held it in the palm of my hands.

"Hey there," I crooned to the Sunkern. "How are you?"

The Sunkern squeaked happily and jumped up and down in my hands. It was so light I was surprised the wind didn't blow it away.

"Are you unhappy? Do you want to leave?" I asked it.

It shook its head, or body I guess, vigorously. It jumped out of my hands and onto the little girls shoulder. It nuzzled her, making her laugh.

"See," I said to the little girl. "She wants to stay with you, she's happy being with you."

"You are?" The little girl asked her Sunkern, it nodded again and continued nuzzling her.

"Don't believe everything you hear, you should believe what you can see with your eyes." I said. "Your Sunkern loves you and wants to be with you, don't release her because some guy said she was unhappy, what doe he know."

"Thanks miss!" the little girl exclaimed. "I'll never think about leaving my Sunkern ever again."

"Now you should probably get home," I said, worried that Team Plasma was lurking around. I ruffled her hair and sent her on her way. My Riolu suddenly tugged at my shorts, pointing to someone behind me.

"Your Pokémon... Just now, it was saying..." N said. I knew it was him the moment I saw him. He was tall, a lot taller than me. He was very handsome, he had a very mature face despite the air of innocence he carried around him. His hair was actually green, however it looked natural. His eyes were a dark blue, I felt I could drown in them.

"You can't hear it?" N said breaking me out of my stupor. "How sad...My name is N."

"I'm Cassandra," I said, flushing with embarrassment. I had probably been staring too long. "I may not be able to hear the voices of pokemon, but that doesn't mean I don't understand them or love them any less."

"Yet you're a trainer," N said sadly. "You're going to confine may pokemon in pokeballs, are pokemon really happy that way?"

"You're a trainer too, plus my Riolu is perfectly happy." I said defensively. "Right Riolu?"

My Riolu barked in agreement and it seemed to shock N.

"I never expected to hear Pokémon say such things..." N said in surprise, "Perhaps you could be the one."

"What?" I asked, wondering what he meant.

"Well, Cassandra, is it? Let me hear your Pokémon's voice again!" N said. He then threw out a pokeball, releasing a Purrloin.

"Let's go Riolu, we won't lose," I exclaimed. Riolu jumped in front of me, ready to battle.

I quickly and easily won, N's Purrloin was level 7 and its only damaging move was scratch. A few feints and quick attacks and I defeated N. He gave me 700 pokedollars for winning.  
"As long as Pokémon are confined in Poké Balls... Pokémon will never become perfect beings. I have to change the world for Pokémon, because they're my friends." N said.

I said nothing but raised my eyebrows skeptically.

"You seek truth while I seek ideals, similar to the two heroes in the legend." N stated softly, almost to himself. "Here take this, prove yourself worthy of the title hero."

N gave me a pokemon egg, specifically a Togepi egg. I took it from him and cradled in my arms, confused.

"Why are you giving me this?" I asked.

N didn't answer, he simply looked at me and then left. I wasn't quite sure what to feel. Although worry squirmed in my belly as I realized how different the real pokemon world was from the games. I wouldn't be able to rely on my knowledge of the games, this was especially worrying as Team Plasma was just starting to come out of the shadows.

"Hey Cassandra, what's that," Black's voice broke me out of my thoughts.

"Oh hi Black." I greeted. "This is a Togepi egg, a guy named N gave it to me after I defeated him."

"That's great!" Black exclaimed. "You'll finally have a second pokemon."

"Yeah, you're right," I said. "Plus, fairy types are one of the few types that are effective against fighting, dragon, and dark types."

Wait, fairy type wasn't discovered until Kalos, I wonder if it's already been discovered.

"You're right, I vaguely remember when the scientists came out with it." Black said. "They reclassified several pokemon as fairy type. It was confusing."

"Anyways, did you beat the gym?' I asked.

"I sure did!" Black proudly displayed his two badges on the strap of his bag. "It was hard, but both Lillipup and Oshawott evolved."

"Wow!" I exclaimed. "Let me see."

Black released Dewott and Herdier from their pokeballs. Dewott was a foot taller and Herdier was over twice its previous height. I was disappointed that I didn't get to see them evolve, but excited to hit the gym. I would be able to level up Riolu some more.

"That's awesome," I said. "After a quick trip to the Pokemon center I'll go challenge the gym."

We went to the pokemon center together. While the nurse Joy resorted Riolu's health, I got a container to hold my egg in. I checked Riolu's level again and to my surprise he was now level 15 and knew force palm instead of endure.

Challenging Virbank Gym was hard, a lot harder than Nuvema Gym. I managed to beat both the gym trainers on the first try, but I lost to Roxie the first time. I had to pay her 256 pokedollars.

I went back to the pokemon center and restored Riolu. I considered trying again tomorrow, but Riolu seemed wounded by his first lost and practically dragged me back to the gym. This time we won, but only by a hair. Roxie gave me 2040 pokedollars, the Toxic badge, and the venoshock tm. Unfortunately Riolu can't learn venoshock, I couldn't remember if Togepi could learn it. I knew Togepi could learn toxic, so maybe.

"You did it Cassandra!" Black congratulated me. "Now we can go to Castelia City."

"Do we have time?" I asked. "Can we get there before dark?"

"Of course, it only takes a few hours to get there by boat." Black replied. "We can go get lunch and then board the boat from the port. How does that sound?"

"That sounds amazing," I said, "I'm feeling pretty hungry right now."

We found a nice little cafe and sat down to eat. Afterwards we went to the port and found a boat to take us to Castelia City. My family once rented a boat and we lived on it for several days in the Caribbean. We stopped at ports of course, but we slept and played on that boat. The sea breeze gave me a nostalgic feeling and the wind in my hair felt great.

Black was super excited, it was his first time being on a boat and being at sea. However, as soon as the boat picked up speed, he got nauseous. I rubbed his back while he clung to the railing. He asked how I was fine and I mentioned I had been on a boat before. He didn't press me any further, but I was reminded how many secrets I was keeping from him. Basically I couldn't tell anyone about my life before arriving in the pokemon world. It made me feel lonely, but I was snapped out of my thoughts when I saw the sprawling metropolis that is Castelia City.

"Look Black!" I shouted over the spray. "There's Castelia City!"

"That's grea-uuuugh," Black attempted to reply. His seasickness was serious, but at least he hadn't thrown up.

When we arrived Black leaned on me as we walked down the pier. It was starting to get late so we went straight to the pokemon center. The pokemon center here was much larger than the other one. We got two rooms with single beds and a connecting door. There was even a very nice bathroom. After I helped Black settle in, I took a long hot shower with Riolu. We both washed a lot of sweat and dirt off. Riolu made an odd purring noise when I scrubbed his head with pokemon shampoo.

We eventually got out and dried off. Riolu shook its wet fur and got water everywhere, but I made him clean it all up. Then we got into bed, Riolu wanted to sleep with me instead of in the pokeball. I also took the Togepi egg out of its container and placed it in between Riolu and I. I rolled around in my sleep, which I warned Riolu of. I asked him to make sure the egg was safe and he barked proudly. I hoped he would get along with the Togepi when it hatched. We eventually fell asleep together like that, smiling contently, and faded into dreamland.


	6. Team Plasma

Today, I got up earlier than Black, I almost thought I was still dreaming. I had to shake him awake, he seemed to have slept off the nausea from his seasickness, and he soon became cheerful. Black was a morning person, unlike me.

"So, to the gym?" Black asked me after we had breakfast in a nice restaurant. It had great omelets, and tons of fresh fruit and vegetables.

"No, I'm going to go to Castelia Park, to catch more Pokemon," I said. "It's not fair to leave all the pressure on Riolu."

Riolu growled at that, he probably thought he could handle another gym. He was proud of the fact that he had beaten two gyms by himself, but I knew he wouldn't be able to keep it up. Losing at Virbank gym made me realize that Riolu had his limits.

"I want to catch another pokemon too, preferably a flying type." Black said, grinning. Dewott and Herdier looked offended. Black patted them both on the head and that seemed to satisfy them. Most people seemed to keep their pokemon out of their pokeballs. I quite liked it. Just walking down the street we saw many different types of pokemon.

"That's a good choice, flying types are good against bug type." I said. "The gym here is a bug type gym, I think."

"Why don't we spend a few days here?" Black suggested tentatively. He seemed to think that I didn't want to for some reason.

"Sure, this is a big city and it'll take a while to see everything." I said, looking around. "I want to train with Riolu some more before challenging the gym, anyways."

"Actually, why don't we have a battle after we both get more pokemon?" Black challenged me.

"Sure, but I hope you don't mind the bitter taste of defeat." I teased Black.

"You're so on!" Black exclaimed and started running towards the Castelia Sewers, fired up.

"Wait for me!" I shouted. He didn't slow down and I sighed. He always seemed to be full of energy, sometimes I had trouble keeping up with him. I smiled though, I was happy. Traveling with Black and Riolu was the best thing ever. I ran after Black with Riolu by my side, a grin stuck on my face.

In the Castelia Sewers we stuck close together, it was dark and kinda smelly. When some Zubats flew over our heads, I ended up clinging to Black. I pulled away quickly, glad that the darkness hid my blush. We ended up exploring a bit, and we found several interesting things. We found a heart scale, a bone, and a pearl. I took the bone because I thought it might be valuable. As it got darker, Black grabbed my hand. We walked like that for a while until we saw a light.

We were temporarily blinded by the bright light when we exited the sewers, it took a few minutes for our eyes to adjust. We quickly let go of each other's hand once we realized we were still holding each others. I blushed and looked away. We split up to look for pokemon.

Riolu and I saw and battled a lot of Cottonees, Petilils, and Rattatas. It was good training, but we didn't find any pokemon that I wanted to catch. After an hour I stumbled upon a Skitty, one of my favorite pokemon. Riolu used force palm and knocked out in one blow, then I threw a pokeball. I caught it and cheered about it with Riolu. At the pokemon center I would revive it and check its gender, ability, moves, etc.

I decided to still look for another pokemon though, after reflecting on it. I should probably have at least three in my party. I looked for another few hours, encountering tons of Cottonees, Petilils, and Rattatas. I saw a few more Skittys, Bunearys, and Pidoves. When I went into the rustling grass I saw and fought many Audino.

While walking along with Riolu, we found an Eevee. It shivered when it saw Riolu and turned heel and ran. I chased after it with Riolu. We eventually cornered it and it turned and attacked. I managed to get Riolu to use counter before it hit him. It took some damage but Riolu seemed to brush it off. I ordered Riolu to use quick attack, and while Eevee was off its feet, to use force palm. The Eevee fainted and I threw another pokeball. I caught it, tried to cheer, and fell over. Both Riolu and I were exhausted from chasing the Eevee down. We had ran quite a way, we rested for ten minutes before going to find Black.

"Hey!" I called to Black, who I could see resting against a tree with Dewott and Herdier. As I got closer I realized he was asleep again. I noticed that his eyelashes were actually pretty long. He sighed softly in his sleep, muttering something about cookies and I giggled. Black really was cute. I sat down besides him, Herdier growled at me playfully as I pushed him over. I planned to just rest, but as soon as I closed my eyes, I fell asleep.

"Cassandra? Hey Cassandra." Black's voice gently roused me from my slumber. My eyes fluttered open to see Black's face right in front of mine. I was too tired to blush, plus I've gotten used to being close to Black. I blinked several times, before realizing that it had gotten a lot darker.

"What time is it?" I asked, yawning. Black had already gotten up and offered a hand to me. I grabbed it and he pulled me up.

"It's 8:30, we were in the park for hours," He said. "Plus we slept several hours here."

"Woah," I said, jerking awake. "Then we need to get going. I don't want to walk through the sewers at night."

"It's okay, I'll protect you." Black said cheekily, flashing a bright smile. His teeth were really nice, they were white and strength. I wondered if they had dentists here.

"I don't need protecting." I huffed, puffing out my cheeks. Black always teased me, sometimes it was cute. However, other times it reminded me that my crush wasn't reciprocated.

"I know, you're a tough girl." Black said. "But we should still stick together, especially in the dark."

"You're right," I said, stretching. "Let's go."

We walked quickly through the sewers and walked through the city to the pokemon center. I think I saw some team plasma goons hanging out at a street corner, but I didn't tell Black. They didn't appear to be doing anything but I'm sure they'd be causing trouble tomorrow. I simply stuck closer to Black, still I secretly hoped I'd get to see N again. I immediately felt guilty, team plasma would probably hurt people and pokemon.

We went into the pokemon center and healed the pokemon we caught. Black had caught a level 16 Pidove. My Skitty was level 15 while my Eevee was level 19. I also checked up on Riolu and was pleasantly surprised that he was level 20, and knew copycat instead of feint. Skitty had the ability cute charm while Eevee had the ability of anticipation. That examined why it shuddered when it saw Riolu, force palm does double damage on normal types. Both of my pokemon were female while Black's Pidove was a male. I decided to simply check their moves tomorrow with Black's pokedex.

We went back to our room, I still couldn't believe pokemon centers had free rooms for traveling trainers. I left Riolu out of pokeball but Black withdrew Dewott and Herdier. They were too big to both be in his bed. I left Skitty and Eevee in their pokeballs, they would have to get used to me first.

I had a nightmare that night. I was in a forest with tall smooth trees that seemed too close together. They loomed over me ominously. I was alone and had nothing, even my watch was gone. I rubbed my wrist where it usually sat, feeling almost naked with it gone. I was wearing the pajamas I had fell asleep in. I was wearing cotton shorts and a t-shirt. They weren't exactly warm, I shivered and rubbed the goosebumps on my arms.

I looked around, seeing everything through a kind of haze. I know I was dreaming but I felt little control. I stayed in place, I simply leaned to the side and scratched one leg with the other. I didn't plan on moving until a cry broke out somewhere.

"Riolu?!" I shouted desperately, he sounded hurt or in pain.

Suddenly the forest was full of cries. I heard Black and Riolu's pained cries most clearly. However, Mrs. Floccesy, Black's pokemon, the pokemon on the ranch, and even the family I had left behind in my world could be heard crying out in pain. I tried to remind myself that this was a dream, but it all seemed so real.

Before I could stop myself, I started running. I ran all over, never catching up to the voices. I chased different ones until I saw a clearing with a figure in the middle. I tripped into it, scraping my leg. A hand was offered to me and I was shocked to see it was N. He pulled me up and into his arms. I looked up at him, he was smiling sadly. I gasped when the world suddenly fell beneath me.

As I fell I could still see N, he was riding Zekrom, the legendary pokemon. It almost appeared as if he were crying, but he did nothing to help me. Behind him I could see Ghetsis, grinning evilly, like a Sharpedo. He put a hand on N's shoulder and N's eyes turned cold and lifeless. They turned away and my sight was engulfed by darkness.

I jolted awake in terror, breathing rapidly and clutching at my chest. I felt as if my heart would beat out of it. It was the middle of the night and no one else was awake, I hadn't even startled Riolu awake or knocked Togepi's egg on the floor. After several deep breaths, I calmed down. I prided myself on being a rational and logical person. It was just a dream. I was probably worried about Team Plasma as I had seen them yesterday. The best thing to do would be to get some rest.

I fell into a dreamless slumber. When I awoke for the second time the dream was a wisp, it disappeared from my thoughts.

That morning both Black and I took showers. I tried to have Black's Pidove use air cutter on my hair, but it didn't end well. It dried it out, but the tangles were a mess. I told Black to go on without me as it would take an hour for me to comb it all out. I first checked my new pokemon moves on his pokedex, then sent him on his way.

When I got outside I released Skitty and Eevee. Eevee seemed confused, but it didn't run away. It gave me a suspicious look but walked alongside me, opposite of Riolu. The Skitty leaped into my arms and purred. I carried it and scratched it ears for it. It cried happily and Riolu gave it a jealous glare. I nudged him and gave him a reassuring smile.

Suddenly the sound of crying drew my attention. I frowned and shifted in place hesitantly before heading towards the sound of crying. A young boy was crying holding a Magikarp. He looked about ten, but tall for his age. He had short straight brown hair, brown eyes, and his nose ran like a faucet. He reminded me of my brother, and I approached him slowly.

"Are you okay?" I asked the boy. "What's your name?"

"I'm Max," the boy sniffled out through his tears. "Team plasma stole my pokemon."

Oh no, I got involved in something troublesome. I was going to help anyways, if I left the guilt would haunt me. Hopefully team plasma will be weak like they are in the games. Maybe I'd be able to see N too. I might be able to convince him that Ghetsis doesn't really want to help pokemon.

"I'm Cassandra," I said. "I'll help you get your pokemon back. Do you know which way team plasma went?"

"I heard they them say something about Prime Pier." Max said, wiping away his tears in hope. "I can take you there. I want to get Zorua back!"

A Zorua? That's a pretty rare pokemon, I think N has one. No wonder they stole it. I noticed they left the Magikarp, I might have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious. I put a comforting hand on Max's shoulders and he wiped away his tears. I grabbed his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. He then lead me through the streets of Castelia City to Prime Pier.

A tall black ship loomed in the harbor. I saw some team plasma grunts patrolling the deck. I instinctively wanted to charge right up to them, but I suppressed my rage. I told Max to sneak aboard with me, returning all our pokemon to their pokeballs. We managed to get aboard, in one room we found uniforms. I put one on and pretended to take Max prisoner. He's too young to be a part of Team Plasma, but I could claim that I caught him trying to sneak aboard.

I pulled my hood low and we managed to walk down through the ship without drawing attention to ourselves. I even managed to get a Team Plasma grunt to spend the door to the stolen pokemon for me. I convinced them that Max still had valuable pokemon. When we got inside I dropped my hood and let my hair out. All of my hair was heavy bundled up in my hood, plus it was hot. I sighed in relief, no one was inside. Getting Zorua out would be easy, Max still had it's pokeball.

However, as my eyes adjusted to the dim light I realized there were many pokemon contained here. There were rare ones, ordinary ones, weak ones. They had stolen many different types of pokemon. I chewed on my lip, trying to think of a way to get them all out. I quickly realized there was no way to do this quietly.

"Max, don't put Zorua in this pokeball." I said to him.

"Why not?" he asked, confused.

"We are going to release all these pokemon." I said. "We're also going to need everyones help. Come on out guys."

I released Riolu, Skitty, and Eevee from their pokeballs. I instructed Riolu to start breaking the cages with force palm while Skitty and Eevee guard the door. Riolu's breaking of the cages made a racket, so I instructed everyone to plug their ears and Skitty to use sing on any team plasma grunts who made it through the door.

Minute later, a female team plasma grunt burst her way in. Skitty used sing, it made the grunt woozy but didn't put her to sleep. She probably couldn't feel the full effects with her hood blacking out part of the song. I instructed Skitty to use tackle on her while Eevee used swift. It knocked her to the ground and I jumped on her. We wrestled for a bit, but ranch work had made me much stronger. I punched her in the face and stomped on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. It was probably much worse then my pokemon's attacks. I was letting out some of my rage on her, I really hated team plasma. More so than any other team in the games. The others had at least been honest about their true intentions, they didn't try to pretend they wanted anything less than world domination. Plus Ghetsis had manipulated N, my favorite character from the games.

Anyways, I ripped off part of her uniform and used it to bind her hands and gag her. I shoved her into one of the pokemon cages. It was a tight fit, she couldn't move. She glared at me, but I simply stuck my tongue out and had Riolu force the door shut. They'd have trouble getting her out. I considering spitting in her face for good measure, but decided to spend my time trying to pick locks Riolu hadn't broken yet. Skitty and Eevee stood guard at the door. At this point many pokemon had been released and they stood with Eevee and Skitty. Riolu had apparently told them what to do.

As we sprung the last cage three grunts stormed the room. They were all male, and a lot bigger than me. Luckily, the freed pokemon attacked them. Using this opportunity, I ran with Max and my pokemon. The other pokemon followed after giving the grunts a piece of their mind. For a minute there, I thought we were home free.

However, reality is never as sweet. One of the seven sages appeared. I never bothered to learn any of their names, but their clothing set them apart.

"I am one of the seven sages of team plasma. Ghetsis, another of the Seven Sages, will liberate pokemon with words alone!" He said. "The remainder of the seven sages have ordered their compatriots to take pokemon with full force. I will not allow some children to destroy our work."

"Bring it on," I said, in what I hoped was a confident tone. My stomach was actually squirming with nervousness. I was just a kid, how I was supposed to do anything. "I'll make you a deal. If we have a double battle, and we win, we can go free with all these pokemon and you won't send anyone after us. If we lose you can take back all these pokemon except for mine and Max's."

"Did you really think I would agree to something like that." He asked scornfully.

"Oh yeah, there is always the third option," I said with a Cheshire cat grin. "We, me and all these pokemon, will physically take you down. I'm considering permanently maiming you as well, we wouldn't want you coming after us so quickly. So what'll it be?"

The sage seemed shocked, he clearly hadn't anticipated I would threaten physical violence. I was pissed however, the suffering of all these pokemon had ignited my rage. In real life I could make any choice wanted. I doubted words could get through to him so I decided to use threats. I was afraid that even if I beat team plasma goons in battle, they could still attack me. Just because they lost with pokemon didn't mean they couldn't take me on man to man, or man to woman in this case.

"I guess I have no choice," He muttered. "I accept your deal."

"Good, by the way if we catch grunts following us after we win, I will come back for you." I said, hoping to scare him. I wasn't sure how intimidating I was as a seventeen-year-old girl.

The battle ended pretty quickly, Max's Magikarp evolved into Gyarados. Then it was all over. We left with all the pokemon. Some ran off, presumably to find their owners or to live freely in the wild again. Others seemed afraid and stuck with us. We went to the pokemon center and the nurse Joy promised to find the pokemon's owners. A Litleo, a pokemon not found in Unova, appeared to have become attached to Max. I doubted it had an owner, it was probably stolen from Kalos. When Max and I said our goodbyes the Litleo went with him.

I wandered the city looking for Black. I stopped to get a bite to eat, jail breaking made me hungry. I also sold my bone to some weird guy for 10,000 pokedollars. I knew it was valuable. I eventually found Black and we decided to postpone our battle. We went sightseeing, occasionally battling some trainers along the way. I told Black all about my adventure on the team plasma ship. He got angry, demanding to know why I put myself in danger. I retorted snapily, knowing he would have done the same thing. We drifted apart and I did some more training to take my mind off our fight. Eevee seemed to like me more now, she let me hold and pet her. Eventually, both Black and I returned to the pokemon center. We made up and went to bed. I could have sworn that as I closed my eyes, I saw my Togepi egg move, just a tiny bit.


	7. Another Day, Another Journey

That night I had more nightmares, I dreamt of cages, restraints, and faceless captors. It was awful, there was no escape from it. I woke up in cold sweat. Black was gone and Riolu was training. He was punching the air with a determined look on his face. It made me giggle, he was too cute to look tough.

Riolu barked at me when he saw I was awake. He grabbed a letter from the dresser and gave it to me. I sat up and leaned against the headboard.

 _I've gone to challenge the gym. You should head there as soon as possible. I want to leave here tonight, with Team Plasma lurking about it's too dangerous._

The letter was more formal than other letters Black had left me. It seemed Black was still upset with me about putting myself in danger. It was annoying that he thought I couldn't protect myself, yet cute that he cared.

I stood in the shower several minutes later. I closed my eyes and reflected on the previous days events. The hot spray of water was comforting. I was alone, so I fell to my knees and cried. Yesterday I was so afraid but quashed it so I wouldn't panic. Even when I reached Black, I was still too insecure to show him my weakness. I hide my insecurities even from Riolu. I maintained a facade to keep Max calm while we were facing team plasma. But now, all alone, I broke down. I hated myself for my weakness yet fat tears left salty traces down my cheeks. My shoulders shook as I sobbed silently. Just Riolu's presence in the room prevented me from crying out loud.

I took several deep shaky breaths to calm myself. After several minutes, I stopped crying. The hot water washed away all traces of my tears. I cleaned up and got dressed. I put the Togepi egg in my bag as usual and released Skitty and Eevee.

"Breakfast time!" I said. While wandering the city yesterday I had stopped and bought some berries. I gave everyone an Oran berry while I ate strawberries.

After breakfast, we headed to the gym. We had to fight four gym trainers. They wore weird clown outfits. It kinda creeped me out, plus the bug pokemon are freaky as well. I didn't have a fear of bugs per say, but I never want them near me. I got 640 pokedollars from three of them and 608 pokedollars from one of them. Finally, after making my way through all the icky webs, I reached the gym leader.

"You are the second trainer to make it this far today." Burgh said flamboyantly. He got on his knees, like he did in the games, for some unknown reason. He tossed all his hair.

"The other trainer was a handsome specimen, he quickly beat me. For the sake of my pride I'll chalk that up to his type advantage." He said while combing his fingers in his hair. I felt slightly uncomfortable by the way he posed, this wasn't a male model runway.

"I'm Cassandra, I challenge you to battle," I declared, hoping to speed things up.

"My bug Pokémon are scurrying with excitement about getting to battle you. Let's get straight to it then!" Burgh finally said. "I'm Burgh, the leader of Castelia Gym."

"Let's go Riolu!" I called. After defeating all the gym trainers, I had returned to the pokemon center and restored everyone to full health. I also checked out everyones level and moves.

Riolu is currently level 25 and knows force palm, copycat, counter, and quick attack. Skitty is already level 20 and knows tackle, fake out, disarming voice, and sing. Eevee was level 22 and knows tackle, swift, quick attack, and bite.

Burgh sent out Swadloon, a bug and grass type. Bug types are resistant to fighting type moves, force palm wasn't going to do much damage. My best bet was to just keep using quick attack, for attacking and dodging. Then use copycat whenever the opposing Swadloon used a bug type move. While bug type moves have a normal effect in bug types they're super effective against grass types.

"Riolu, use quick attack." I called.

"Use protect to defend my dear Swadloon," Burgh countered with.

"Riolu, hang back until his defense falls." I said. Swadloon's protect would fall quicker if Riolu attacked, but Burgh would eventually have to drop it if he wanted this battle to go anywhere. If I had Riolu did nothing it would force Burgh to give up the defensive and go on offense. Luckily, Riolu and I had trained for this situation. When I said hang back, both Riolu and I knew that meant to wait for the enemy's attack and use counter.

"Swadloon withdraw, let's go Leavanny." Burgh said. "Use cut."

"Counter Riolu!" I shouted. Leavanny was much taller than Riolu. It towered over him at a height of 3'11". I had gotten used to giant bugs but they still gave me the creeps.

Riolu managed to use counter in time and Leavanny took double damage. Burgh ordered Leavanny to use struggle bug, and I took that chance to have Riolu use copycat. It knocked Leavanny out.

Burgh resent out Swadloon and I switched to Skitty. I had Skitty use fake out on Swadloon first then put it to sleep with sing. Then I basically had Skitty repeatedly used tackle until Swadloon fainted. Skitty was actually taller than Swadloon, it basically looked like Skitty was knocking around a weird green soccer ball.

"Could it be time to bug out of here? No, no, I refuse to be squashed!" Burgh said as he sent out his last pokemon, Dwebble.

It was time to let Eevee have some action. However since rock types are resistant to normal type moves, I could only have Eevee use bite.

"Is it over? Has my muse abandoned me?" Burgh cried, distraught.

Eevee got knocked around a lot more than Riolu and Skitty. I tried to withdraw her, but she dodged. She was determined to keep fighting. Unfortunately she was eventually knocked out. I ran up to her and picked her up gently. I petted her before putting her in her pokeball.

"Let's finish strong Riolu!" I shouted, tossing my pokeball high in the air. Riolu landed lightly on its feet and barked in agreement. After a few exchanges of blows, Riolu began to glow. He began to evolve into Lucario, he got taller and bigger very quickly. He grew approximately a foot and a half taller. Finally the glow disappeared and a Lucario was standing in Riolu's place. It howled and used aura sphere on Dwebble. The rock type pokemon was knocked out.

"Aww... I lost. Whatever! Losing to you doesn't bug me because you are a-MAZ-ingly strong! This is the Gym Badge! You beat me, so it's yours!" Burgh said after finally getting to his feet.

"It's the Insect Badge! It's insectible-I mean, incredible! If you have three Badges, Pokémon up to Lv. 40 will obey you, including traded Pokémon." Burgh said, laughing at his stupid pun.

"Because I'm a generous guy, I'll also give you this," Burgh said as he handed me a tm. "Struggle Bug also lowers the Sp. Atk of the target that was damaged. I'm the best guy to tell you, it's the little things that count!"

He finally stopped to take a breath, and I got a chance to get a word in. I thanked him for the battle and the badge and excused myself before he could ramble on anymore. Before I left he gave me 2640 pokedollars for winning. It wasn't that I disliked him particularly, he just made me slightly uncomfortable. All his movements had a sort of intimate feel to them.

I went straight to the pokemon center to revive Eevee as well as check everyone's stats. Lucario was level 26 and knows four different new moves. He now knew aura sphere, close combat, dragon pulse, and extreme speed. Skitty had also leveled up, she was now level 21 and knew feint attack instead of fake out. Eevee didn't level up, but she was very close to.

"Hey," A voice startled me from behind. It was just Black though, he had a guilty look on his face.

"Sorry for leaving you alone today," He said sheepishly. "Friends?"

He held out a Casteliacone, he must have gotten up early to get one.

"I feel bad for yelling at you yesterday, I know you can take care of yourself." He said as I took it. "I was just angry I wasn't there to help."

"It's fine, I felt bad about our fight too." I said, licking the ice cream. "Here's a hint, ice cream will always buy my forgiveness." I finished with a wink.

We both laughed about it and wandered the city some more. It was very nice, it almost felt like a date. At lunchtime we returned to the pokemon center, had a quick bite to eat, and packed.

We biked out to route 4, but we were forced to dismount due to the wind. There were several buildings but it looked like they stopped construction. I asked Black about it while shielding my eyes from the sand carried by the wind.

"Oh yeah, they started to build a road between Castelia City and Nimbasa City." Black said, with his cap pulled low. He need both hands to push the bike. "They stopped when they discovered some ancient ruins."

"Oh that's cool, maybe we'll see them." I said, bowing my head as we pushed against the wind.

We continued on our way, stopping to rest in someone's house. They were kind and let us stay out of the wind to catch our breath. On the road we met some hooligans and battled them. Black's Pidove evolved into Tranquill. They grumbled after being defeated but still gave us the reward. The win also gave Eevee a boost of confidence. She had been slightly down after the gym battle, so I only used her in battle against the hooligans. I'm sure she finally leveled up. I want her to evolve into Espeon, which should happen if she levels up during the day. I guess her friendship isn't high enough yet, though it isn't that surprising as we had only known each other for a few days.

When we finally made it to Nimbasa City the sun was setting and the street lights were starting to turn on. I could see the pretty lights of the Ferris wheel twinkling, but I was exhausted. We went straight to the pokemon center and got ready for bed. Lucario was too big to fit in bed with me, plus he now had big steel spikes on the back of his hand paws. I withdrew him into his pokeball but I let out both Eevee and Skitty. I put Togepi's egg on the nightstand though. I moved around in my sleep, I used to trust Lucario to keep an eye on it. It was moving on a regular basis now, it would probably hatch soon. I just hoped it didn't happen in the middle of the night. I wanted to be there when it hatched.

We finally went to bed. My sleep was dreamless and the night passed in a second for me. It felt like no time had passed when I was awoken by Skitty jumping on my stomach.


	8. The Ferris Wheel

"Oof," I said as Skitty jumped on my stomach. Once she saw I was awake, she purred and got off. Eevee was still sleeping, curled up near the end of the bed. The Togepi egg was also still intact, but it looked like it was having a seizure. It would probably hatch today.

"Mornin'," Black said. To my great embarrassment and pleasure, he was only wearing a towel around his waist. He had just gotten out of the shower and was toweling his hair dry. I quickly averted my eyes, I didn't want to be caught staring.

"I'll go shower too," I said as I grabbed my clothes. I took a nice, hot shower and dried off as quick as I could. When I walked back into the room, Black was dressed and getting ready to go.

"Let's go challenge the gym first," Black said. "Then we can go see all the sights."

"Sure, let me just grab my bag and Togepi." I said. "I think it's going to hatch today."

"That's awesome Cassandra," Black exclaimed. "I can't wait to see it, I've seen plenty of Lillipup and Mareep hatch but never a Togepi. I had never even heard of a Togepi before you got that egg."

"I've actually never seen a pokemon egg hatch," I said. At least not in real life, I thought to myself.

"Really? How?" Black asked. I awkwardly averted my eyes and Black frowned. However, he didn't question me further. It was nice that he respected my secrets, but I knew deep down that they would eventually become a problem. But today was not the day to worry about that.

"Let's go to the gym," I said, trying to ease the awkward tension by changing the subject.

"Sure," he replied, brushing past me. We walked out of the pokemon center and barely walked a block before we ran into trouble.

While we were walking past the city entrance we saw a team plasma grunt bothering an old man. Black marched right up to him, I followed him closely, but sighed on the inside. It seemed everywhere I went trouble followed me.

"Hey, leave him alone," Black shouted at the grunt. The grunt turned towards us and made an aggressive pose, he looked ridiculous however. Meanwhile, I grabbed Lucario's pokeball and had my finger ready to release him at any moment.

"Who are you kids?" He asked. "Kids like you should stay out of the way."

He then threw out two pokemon, Watchog and Trubbish. I released Lucario as Black threw out Tranquill. Watchog was a normal type while Trubbish was a poison type. So I instructed Lucario to use aura sphere on Watchog while Black had Tranquill use gust on Trubbish. Watchog was knocked out immediately, while Trubbish survived the first hit. But the two on one, the battle was quickly over. The grunt fled, without paying up I might add, and the old man thanked us.

"Thank you youngins'," the old man said gratefully. "Take this bicycle as a reward."

"We couldn't possibly do that," Black said, as he helped the old man to his feet.

"It's fine," the old man waved a hand dismissively. "I've gotten too old to use it. I know you've got a bike mister, but this young miss here doesn't. I'm sure it'll come in handy."

"Oh," I said. I wasn't sure what to do, accepting such a nice gift didn't feel right. However, I didn't want to hurt the man's feelings by refusing.

"Here, just take it as a token of my gratitude." the old man said as he handed me a folded up bike. "Now I must be going."

The old man sped off at a surprising speed for his age, leaving me holding the bike. The bike was folded, so I just put it in my bag. I was surprised how light it was.

"Well, I guess it will be useful," I said to Black. I looked over at him to see a disappointed expression on his face. "Now we can bike besides each other." I continued, trying to cheer him up.

"Yeah, that'll be cool," He said, his words not matching his expression. "Plus that's a whole lot of weight off my bike." He teased, smiling again.

I, however, was not amused. I was a bit sensitive about my weight. I'm not heavy, but I'm not skinny either. I huffed and walked ahead of Black without making eye contact.

To my surprise, Black didn't run up to me to apologize. Instead we spent the walk to the gym in silence. When we got to the gym I was preparing myself to apologize for my overaction, but Black interrupted me.

"Wow!" Black exclaimed, his eyes shining. We were in front of the gym but Black was gazing up at the Ferris Wheel. I looked too, but I wasn't as impressed. It looked a lot better than it did in the game, but I had been on plenty of Ferris Wheels. When I was younger I went to the Annual State fair every year. Before I was tall enough to ride roller coasters I always made my mom take me on the Ferris wheel. I used to love the slow rocking motion and the view. As I got older I began to prefer the rush, thrill, and stomach twisting feeling of the twisting roller coasters.

"Do you want to go on it?" I asked, taking initiative. Black looked really excited. It wasn't surprising thinking about it. Black had never been anywhere outside Floccesy ranch and town.

"Shouldn't we go to the gym first?" Black replied, looking at me. He seemed to be over his previous annoyance with. Black's easygoing nature was one of the things I loved about him.

That thought brought up a tinge of pink to my cheeks. I grabbed Black's hand, my heart nearly beating out of my chest.

"No, the gym's made up of roller coasters." I said, tugging Black towards the Ferris wheel. "It's probably better if you ride on the Ferris wheel first."

"Okay," Black grinned easily. He interlocked our fingers, causing me to turn red, and pulled us up to the Ferris wheel. The operator let us on together with another couple. The couple was older than us, they looked like they were in their mid-twenties. After the wheel began to turn and we gained some altitude, the couple began making out.

This was definitely the most awkward Ferris wheel ride ever. I looked out the window, trying to think of other things the sounds I heard could be. I focused on the view and was very surprised when there was suddenly a weight on my lap.

I whipped my head back, making my neck crick, and found Black staring up at me. He winked and flashed me a blinding smile. I could tell by the twinkle in his eye that I was bright red, despite my attempts to conceal it. He apparently took my stunned silence as a go-ahead single, as he closed his eyes and sighed contently. He actually had the nerve to fall asleep.

When I was sure he was asleep, I shifted to make myself more comfortable. I forgot about the couple in front of me and focused on Black. I lightly brushed the tips of his hair, it was very soft. I smiled to myself, and relaxed. As the ride went on, I contemplated our relationship. I thought that I was the only one with feelings, but I might be wrong. However, my past was going to be an issue. I couldn't just tell him, he'd think I was crazy or a liar. But, we couldn't just date with that big secret in the dark. Plus, I couldn't help thinking of N. I fell in love with him when I played the game and he was so much better in real life.

Being stuck between two handsome boys used to be my dream. However, reality isn't as sweet. There were real feelings to hurt, and to be felt. I've never been in love before so I don't know if this is the real thing.

Maybe I should try journeying on my own, without Black. Thoughts swirled through my head, consequences, reactions, my future. However the gentle swaying of the carriage as well as Black's comforting presence sent me off to sleep.


End file.
